Maritime hydrogen generation system

ABSTRACT

An off shore, stable floating system that uses several wind turbines for power output and hydrogen production by electrolyzing water while being able to easily and safely relocate for better wind conditions with on board maintenance of the equipment. The produced hydrogen gas is either compressed and stored in strong tanks or liquefied and placed into insulated tanks for quick helicopter transfer to shore, or transferred to surface ships with insulated containers.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to wind power generation systems mounted on a ship to produce hydrogen for transfer to ships or land base operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This proposed inventive system to obtain hydrogen would operate freely floating or anchored while facing into the wind. The system would consist of a wide and tall, vertical framework supported by a deck spanning between and supported by two hulls thereby forming a catamaran. The framework would contain one or more tall vertical towers which would rise from the catamaran deck onto which forward facing turbines would be mounted one above the other. This catamaran anchored from the bow would naturally point into the wind and the wind driven waves and therefore no yaw motion is required for the turbines. Any tendency for small catamaran oscillations could be automatically countered by bow and stem thruster actions. If the vessel were floating freely the thrusters would keep it directed to face the wind as it moved down wind. The main engines could idle against the wind to maintain a fixed location or to reposition the system upwind. Therefore this system can easily be relocated to a new site with better winds, move out of the way of a severe storm or return to the home port for major maintenance. It is anticipated that the crews would be transferred to and from shore by ship or helicopter with no interruption of hydrogen production.

Some structural members of the frame would be hollow with elevators or ladders to permit access into the rear of each turbine nacelle for inspection and maintenance. While at dock the frame would lay flat on the aft part of the catamaran deck with all the turbines pointing upwards. That orientation would permit passage under some bridges, and would be extremely stable in rough ocean weather. While at dock the shore crane could easily remove any blade and or turbine and quickly install replacements so that the ship could go back out to sea quickly. The design would permit the replacement of any rotor blade or nacelle while at sea when the frame is horizontal.

Several wind turbines would be rigidly mounted with angle braces to the front surface of the vertical framework with their rotor blades facing forward. By mounting the wind turbine nacelles by their rear surface no individual yaw motion is possible and that arrangement would simplify and lighten the standard turbine design. Also the turbine blades would be further out in front of the wind disturbance caused by the framework and so would not have to be mounted at an angle to compensate for the danger of the flexed rotors striking the support frame. This arrangement will thereby improve efficiency and reduce the cyclic forces on the rotors.

The lower edge of the vertical framework would be a hinged joint attached to the catamaran deck.

In preparing to operate, the framework carrying the turbines would be pivoted by a counterweight and locked to the vertical position by braces connected to the deck by slider joints and pinned to the rear of the vertical framework. Before a storms arrival or for high speed relocation of the catamaran, the framework would be pivoted backwards and onto the rear surface of the deck. Maintenance could be accomplished during this time. If needed, the shift in the center of gravity would be countered by ballast adjustment. The vessel can easily be relocated to a new site with better winds. It is anticipated that the vessel would be in port only for maintenance of the hulls or propulsion systems.

Generally, the invention is therefore a maritime hydrogen generation system comprising:

a maritime vessel having a deck;

a plurality of vertically mounted and spaced-apart wind turbine/fan electrical generators, the wind turbine/fan electrical generators being supported by a collapsible framework and oriented such that rotor blades of each of the plurality of the wind turbine/fan electrical generators are pointing into the wind;

means for collapsing the framework so as to orient the plurality of wind turbine/fan electrical generators from a generally horizontal position to a generally vertical orientation for operating the wind turbine/fan electrical generators;

one or more electrolyzers in electrical communication with the plurality of wind turbine/fan electrical generators, wherein the one or more electrolyzers produce hydrogen and oxygen;

means for supplying water to the one or more electrolyzers; and

means for collecting and storing the produced hydrogen for eventual transport to shore.

The maritime vessel can be a multiple hull vessel, such as a catamaran or tri-hull vessel, or a single hull vessel

The means for supplying water to the one or more electrolyzers further comprises means for demineralizing the water before introducing the water into said one or more electrolyzers.

The means for collapsing the framework further comprises counterweight means comprising one or more hollow chambers capable of filling with or discharging with sea or lake water as desired to facilitate the elevating and collapsing of the framework.

The system also includes crane means for facilitating the repair of the plurality of wind turbine/fan electrical generators.

The maritime vessel includes thruster means for maintaining the maritime vessel in a direction pointing into the wind.

The means for collecting and storing the produced hydrogen is a compressor and tank system suitable for storing hydrogen or a liquefier and insulated tank system suitable for storing hydrogen in a liquid form. A benefit of the compressor and tank system is that the vessel can also utilize the produced hydrogen for its own operations.

ADVANTAGES OF THIS SYSTEM

-   1. Can move away from storms or icing conditions or to another area     with good winds. -   2. The first of many catamarans can be built quickly. -   3. This system is the fastest method to generate large quantities of     hydrogen with the least public opposition. -   4. Large power and hydrogen output is possible and can be 45 Mega     watts and greater for a large system with multiple currently     available turbines. -   5. The rotating frame concept can be applied to a single hull ship     with the counterweights outside the ships gunwales and it will be     stable as long as the ship points into the wind and the oncoming     waves. -   6. Each turbine can receive minor internal maintenance during     operation while the frame is vertical. -   7. While at sea any repair could be completed by lowering the frame,     removing the blades and nacelle and installing new parts followed by     raising the frame to resume full power generation. -   8. Quick turbine replacement would result in a fast turnaround on     shore. -   9. The two hulls can be reworked old oil tankers and thousands are     available since they can no longer be used for oil transport. Also     decommissioned military ships could be retrofitted for the catamaran     or single hull arrangements. -   10. These tall systems will be out of sight from the shore. -   11. All parts of the system use present technology therefore little     development is needed. -   12. A malfunctioning turbine could be shut down while the others     continue to operate. -   13. Each turbine could power one electrolyzer and its hydrogen     output would blend with others before going into the common     liquefier or compressor for tank storage. -   14. The turbine speeds would be different which would reduce the     maximum peak vibration forces of the entire system while maximizing     the power output of each turbine. -   15. This is a simple movable system, no under water piping or wiring     is used to connect to the sea surface, bottom or shore. -   16. The rotors can turn faster than land based units because there     would be no noise or vibration restrictions that are disagreeable to     humans nearby. -   17. If the wind speed is too high the downwind drift speed can be     increased to reduce the wind speed over the rotors so that operation     can continue. -   18. Except for the initial construction of materials this system is     pollution free and would not do any environmental damage to the     surface or sea bottom. -   19. In the open sea, the transfer of the hydrogen would be     accomplished safely to a surface ship located between the hulls. -   20. Bird and bat kills would be negligible compared to those caused     by land based turbines. It can be moved away from bird flyways     depending upon the season of the year. -   21. This system can be used anywhere in the world and can bring     hydrogen power to energy poor areas. -   22. In the future, hydrogen can replace the power generated from     nuclear, oil, coal and natural gas plus gasoline and diesel for     transportation. -   23. The wind will be available forever and will always be available     for harvesting. -   24. The US Department of Energy February 2004 report said that wind     turbines and electrolyzing of water is the best way to produce     hydrogen. -   25. The corrosion and saltwater damage should not be more than the     bottom mounted turbines that are presently located near to the     shoreline. -   26. Because this system can be relocated easily for better wind     energy, the production rate should be much greater than the usual     30% from a wind turbine whose location is fixed. -   27. Storm damage will be less because of the ability to move away     from severe weather. -   28. This tall arrangement and active pointing into the wind permits     large amounts of wind energy to be harvested. -   29. This vessel could be fossil fuel free by using the electricity     from the turbines and the hydrogen energy to power all of the on     board systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a double hull catamaran in full hydrogen production mode.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the catamaran with the frame stored on the deck and the top portion of the upper frame shown in production mode.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the catamaran with the frame in hydrogen production position.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the frame on the deck and preparations to replace the rotor blades and nacelles.

FIG. 5 is a partial side view showing the removal of a rotor.

FIG. 6 is a partial side view showing the removal of a nacelle.

FIG. 7 is the front view of the single hull vessel concept in full hydrogen production mode.

FIG. 8 is the side view of the single hull concept in full hydrogen production mode and a partial view of the frame lying on the deck.

FIG. 9 is the top view of the single hull vessel with the frame on the deck.

FIG. 10 is the schematic of the proposed system that captures wind energy, converts it into electricity, electrolyses water, captures the hydrogen and stores it for transfer to the shore as gas or as liquid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows the concept in the hydrogen generating mode as it faces into the wind. The vessel consists of a wide and tall, vertical framework 1 that is supported by a deck 2 spanning between and supported by two hulls 3 & 4 thereby forming a catamaran. This arrangement shows three vertical towers 5, 6 & 7 which rises from the catamaran deck 2 onto which several forward facing wind turbines 8 are mounted one above the other. The wind turbines 8 are rigidly and perpendicularly mounted along with two angle braces 9 to the front surface of the main vertical members of the framework with their rotor blades facing away from the framework 1.

FIG. 2 shows the concept in the most stable arrangement with no hydrogen being produced. The vessel is viewed from the side with framework 1 resting on the deck 2 with the wind turbines 8 pointing upwards. This figure also shows a partial view of the frame in the vertical position for hydrogen production with the wind turbines 8 pointing into the wind. The frame 1 is supported by a shaft 10 and its bearings 11 at one end and on cushioned supports 12 at the other end of the frame. The shaft 10 and bearings 11 form a hinged joint to the catamaran deck 2. A hollow counterweight 14, typically in the form of one or more tanks or hollow chambers, is rigidly attached to shaft 10 and rotates with the vertical members. Water, typically sea or lake water, is pumped into the counterweight 14 until it balances the frames weight and thereby provides most of the force during the raising and lowering of the framework. The large force from the counterweight is eliminated when the frame is vertical because the counterweight is submerged in water and the frame can be lowered quickly as long as the counterweight contains the correct amount of water. The vessel could also be designed for the counterweight to be above the water when the frame is vertical. The framework 2 is secured in the vertical position by the shaft 10, rear braces 15 and a locking pin feature that is contained in the bracket underneath the forward edge of deck 2. The pin or similar feature would engage a hole in a tang that is attached to the lower end of the framework. The pin would be disengaged prior to the frames rotation to the horizontal position. As shown in this figure, the rotation of the frame 1 is controlled by several braces 15, which are pinned to the frame at one end and connected to another sliding pinned joint 16 that is contained and guided on the deck 2 surfaces. These slider joints incorporate a bottom tang that extends through a slot in the deck and connects with a linear motion system that may be controlled by a hydraulic motor/pump 17 or similar means. There is a positive locking feature 18 that is separate from the motion control system which can lock the rack at any location in case of a power failure. The frames rotation could be accomplished by other means and might include such features as gears, levers, chains, cables and air or hydraulic cylinders. Also in this Figure, a movable crane 19 is shown that is used to replace rotors and/or nacelles at sea. A door 20 allows the selected nacelles and rotors to be lowered into the hollow deck 2 for repair as well as to obtain replacement parts. The pilot house 21 is located on the bow of hull 3. Thrusters in the bow 22 and stem 23 keep the vessel pointed into the wind.

FIG. 3 shows the view of the vessel from above with the wind turbines 8 in full hydrogen production position. The helipad 24 is shown on the bow of the port hull 4 and the pilot house 21 on the starboard bow 3. The nacelle 25 lifting tabs 26 are shown in this view as well as the slots 27 through the deck 2 and guide system 28 for the slider joints 16. This view shows the locking feature 18 engaged with the deck and thereby securing the frame 1 in the vertical position. Cushion supports 12 are shown which support the frame when it is lying on the deck. The crane 19 is used to replace parts.

FIG. 4 shows the frame resting on the deck in preparation to remove any of the wind turbine blades 29 from the turbine hub 30. The crane 19 is shown after it has removed and or relocated the diagonal braces 30 to obtain adequate working space.

FIG. 5 shows the removal of one rotor blade 29 from the turbine shaft hub 30 by the use of the crane 19 which then places it into its transporter/storage rack 32 ready to lower into the interior of the deck 2 through the door 20. After all of the rotor blades 29 are removed from the hub 30 the two brackets 9 are disconnected from the sides of the nacelle 25.

FIG. 6 is a partial side view of the vessel with the frame 1 lying on the deck 2. It shows the removal of the nacelle 25 from the frame 1 by using the crane 19 and placing the nacelle 25 into its transporter/work fixture 33. After securing the bottom edge of the nacelle 25 to the fixture 33 it is then tilted down to the horizontal position with the cover 34 of the nacelle on top to permit access to all of the interior areas. This fixture 33 that now contains the nacelle is therefore ready to be placed by the crane into the lower work area of the deck 2. The replacement nacelles and rotors are assembled in the reverse order of the steps shown in this figure and those steps shown in FIGS. 5 and 4.

FIG. 7 shows the front view of a single hull 35 arrangement of the hydrogen generator vessel in full operation facing into the wind. This vessel arrangement consists of a framework of two vertical towers 36 which rise from the deck 37 onto which several forward facing wind turbines 38 are mounted one above the other. The framework contains a shaft 39 that is supported by two or more bearings 40. One counterweight 41 is shown on the port side and another 42 is on the starboard side. Each counterweight 41, 42 is typically in the form of a one or more tanks or hollow chambers. Both are rigidly attached to shaft 39 and the vertical frame. The edge of the helicopter pad 43 and the pilot house 44 is shown on this view also.

FIG. 8 shows the single hull vessel from the side with the framework that contains two towers 36 in the vertical position to generate hydrogen. It also shows a partial view of the towers 36 in the horizontal position resting on the cushioned supports 45. The wind turbines 38 are rigidly and perpendicularly mounted along with two angle braces 46 to the front surface of the framework with their rotor blades facing away and into the wind. The starboard counterweight 42 provides half of the force to raise the framework to the vertical position. As it is shown submerged it minimizes the forces on the bearings 40 and on the hull 35. The vessel could be designed for the counterweights to be above the waterline when the frame is vertical. The framework 36 is secured in the vertical position by the shaft 39, rear braces 47 and a locking pin feature that is contained in the bracket underneath the forward edge of deck 37. A pin contained in this bracket or similar feature would engage a hole in a tang that is attached to the lower end of the framework 36. The pin would be withdrawn prior to the frames rotation to the horizontal position. If the counterweights contain the proper amount of water a rapid lowering of the towers is possible without overloading the rear bracket system. The slider joints 48 are guided by tracks 49 on or below the surface of the hollow deck 37. The speed and position of the sliders [are] can be controlled by a hydraulic motor/pump or similar system 50 inside the deck. A slot 51 through the top surface of the deck would permit the slider to be controlled by the system below. A failsafe locking feature 52 is present on the slider that will lock the slider in any position in case of a power failure. The rotation of the framework could be accomplished by other methods and might include features such as gears, levers, chains, cables and air or hydraulic cylinders. The vessel is pointed into the wind by the bow 53 and stem 54 thrusters. The pilot house 44 is shown located near the helicopter pad 43. The movable crane 55 is used to remove malfunctioning parts and lower them into the hollow deck through door 56 for repair.

FIG. 9 shows the view of the single hull 35 vessel from above with the framework resting on the deck 37. The pilot house 49 is located far enough up wind of the turbines to cause little turbulence. The helicopter pad 43 is on the bow and the crane 55 is positioned to replace any rotor blade or nacelle as described in FIG. 5 and 6. Those parts removed would be lowered by the crane through door 56 into the hollow deck for repair or storage.

FIG. 10 is a schematic describing the conversion of the wind energy to storing the energy in the form of hydrogen. The figure shows the wind energy moving around two or more wind turbines 57 causing their fan blades 58 to rotate, and thereby turning the shaft of the turbine which turns a generator inside the turbine housing. The generator produces electricity which is routed to the electrolyzer 59. Inside the electrolyzer 59, the electricity in the form of direct current is applied to the anode and cathode poles which are immersed in water that has been demineralized and prepared in 60. The resulting current between the poles separates the hydrogen and oxygen molecules. The oxygen and other incidental gases may be released to the atmosphere and the hydrogen is collected and routed to a compressor 61 or liquefier 62.

The compressed hydrogen gas is then stored in structurally strong tanks 63 awaiting transfer to shore by boat or helicopter. Some of the hydrogen gas may be used on board for ancillary uses such machinery as a gas fired turbine for main propulsion of the ship. Also some of the electricity from the wind turbines can be used to satisfy on board demands.

The liquefied hydrogen would be stored in insulated containers 64 at pressures near atmospheric and at a temperature near to −423 F waiting transfer to shore by helicopters or container ships. These ocean going container ships would be similar to those that currently transport liquefied natural gas (LNP) at −260 F.

It is understood that the components described are examples of typical components needed to produce hydrogen. The components may be located at any desired location, including on the deck, or in an interior compartment inside the deck or hull of any of the above described vessel embodiments.

The following are advantages of the above described exemplary embodiments of the present invention:

-   -   1. A multiple of wind turbines can be mounted high above the         waters surface on a vessel to generate electricity that will be         used to electrolyze water and produce hydrogen.     -   2. Because this system can be relocated easily for better wind         energy, the production rate should be much greater than the         usual 30% from a wind turbine whose location is fixed.     -   3. This vessel can be anchored or free floating.     -   4. The ship can move away from storms, icing conditions or bird         flyways and hunt for better wind energy.     -   5. The ship will be positioned to face the wind and incoming         waves by the action of stem and bow thrusters and or the main         propulsion propellers and rudders.     -   6. No yaw motion is required for each individual wind turbine         because the ship is always facing the wind and therefore the         wind turbine nacelles will be simpler and lighter.     -   7. Several wind turbines are rigidly and perpendicularly         connected to the surface of a large framework by the back end of         the nacelle and angle braces.     -   8. When the framework is in the horizontal position the vessel         is more stable.     -   9. When the tall framework with the attached turbines is         vertical, their height produces the largest power output         possible.     -   10. The framework can easily and quickly be raised to the         vertical position or lowered because the counterweight is         mounted on the other side of the pivot shaft. This design         minimizes the forces that are required from the rear bracket         system.     -   11. The force exerted by the hollow metal counterweight can be         easily changed by adding or subtracting ballast water.     -   12. The framework will be secure in the vertical position by         several braces that are pinned to the rear of the framework and         terminate in slider joints that are locked to the rear deck plus         the main shaft and the lock feature between the frame and the         bracket below the leading edge of the deck.     -   13. The velocity of the raising and lowering motions of the         framework can be controlled by a rack and pinion pair driven or         retarded by hydraulics or other similar type system.     -   14. A failsafe feature will lock the slider joints in any         position in case of a power failure.     -   15. The rotateable framework feature is the foundation of this         concept and can be used with multiple hull vessels with the         counterweight located between the hulls.     -   16. The rotateable framework feature can be applied to a single         hull ship with the counterweights mounted outside the ships         gunwales.     -   17. Each turbine can be inspected and receive minor internal         maintenance during operation while the frame is vertical with         access through the rear of the nacelle from the hollow frame         member that may contain a ladder or an elevator.     -   18. The normally operating rotor blade tips will not strike the         frame because the distance from rotor hub is equal to the total         length of the nacelle.     -   19. While at sea the turbines can be replaced by lowering the         frame, removing the blades and or the nacelle and installing new         parts followed by raising the frame to resume full hydrogen         generation.     -   20. This system is the fastest method to generate large         quantities of hydrogen with the least public opposition.     -   21. The hulls can be reworked old single wall oil tankers and         thousands are available since they are now illegal to be used         for oil transport.     -   22. Decommissioned military ships could be retrofitted for the         multiple or single hull arrangements.     -   23. Each turbine could operate at the maximum efficiency of         speed and blade pitch and therefore deliver the maximum power to         its own electrolyzer.     -   24. A malfunctioning turbine could be shut down while the others         continue to operate.     -   25. Liquid cooling of the equipment in the nacelles is possible         because the nacelles are rigidly mounted to the hollow vertical         columns that would contain the plumbing lines.     -   26. The hollow columns will contain the electrical output cables         and control wiring.     -   27. Except for the initial construction of materials and use of         fossil fuel on board, this system is pollution free and would do         no environmental damage to the sea surface or bottom.     -   28. The generated power can be 45 Mega watts or greater for a         large system with nine of the worlds largest turbines and two of         the largest oil tanker hulls.     -   29. When the framework is horizontal a shore crane can quickly         replace all the wind turbines resulting in a fast turnaround on         shore.     -   30. The turbine rotors can turn faster than land based units         because there would be no noise or vibration restrictions that         are disagreeable to humans living nearby.     -   31. In the open sea, the transfer of the hydrogen would be         accomplished safely to a surface ship positioned between the         hulls of a multiple hull ship.     -   32. Helicopters can transfer the hydrogen to shore either as         compressed gas or liquid.     -   33. This concept can be applied to all sizes of vessels.     -   34. Preparing collected rain water for electrolysis requires         less energy than for seawater.     -   35. The potential for storm damage will be less than for a fixed         location wind turbine.

It should be understood that the preceding is merely a detailed description of one or more embodiments of this invention and that numerous changes to the disclosed embodiments can be made in accordance with the disclosure herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The preceding description, therefore, is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be determined only by the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. A maritime hydrogen generation system comprising: a maritime vessel having a deck; a plurality of vertically mounted and spaced-apart wind turbine/fan electrical generators, the wind turbine/fan electrical generators being supported by a collapsible framework and oriented such that rotor blades of each of the plurality of the wind turbine/fan electrical generators are pointing into the wind; means for collapsing the framework so as to orient the plurality of wind turbine/fan electrical generators from a generally horizontal position to a generally vertical orientation for operating the wind turbine/fan electrical generators; one or more electrolyzers in electrical communication with the plurality of wind turbine/fan electrical generators, wherein the one or more electrolyzers produce hydrogen and oxygen; means for supplying water to the one or more electrolyzers; and means for collecting and storing the produced hydrogen for eventual transport to shore.
 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the maritime vessel is a multiple hull vessel.
 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the maritime vessel is a single hull vessel.
 4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means for supplying water to the one or more electrolyzers further comprises means for demineralizing the water before introducing the water into said one or more electrolyzers.
 5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means for collapsing the framework further comprises counterweight means comprising one or more hollow chambers capable of filling with or discharging with sea or lake water as desired to facilitate the elevating and collapsing of the framework.
 6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising crane means for facilitating the repair of the plurality of wind turbine/fan electrical generators.
 7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the maritime vessel includes thruster means for maintaining the maritime vessel in a direction pointing into the wind.
 8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means for collecting and storing the produced hydrogen is a compressor and tank system suitable for storing hydrogen.
 9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means for collecting and storing the produced hydrogen is a liquefier and insulated tank system suitable for storing hydrogen in a liquid form. 